Resolved: As a general Principle, individuals have an obligation to value the common good above their own interests. Discuss.

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Mark Mendez

District Debate 3-9-04

        Resolved: As a general Principle, individuals have an obligation to value the common good above their own interests.

                                AFFIRMATIVE

The affirmative side according to this debate is to side with the statement that individuals as a general principle must value the common good above their own interests. This debate in simpler terms is the common good versus self interests. However according to the resolution the debate can be structured in endless ways and formats. In order to clarify the side of Affirmative I offer these clarifying terms.

Obligation is the duty to honor the life, liberty, or possessions of others. In John Locke’s terms, “Being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.

Common good is the goal of any body politic. The social compact theory of government allows individuals to band together in community, out of their state of nature, to form a body politic for their overall benefit and security.

General Principal cannot be limited to a specific case. A government cannot indirectly “produce a result which it cannot command directly,” (Sonnerman).   It is by this interpretation of the resolution that I stand in affirmation with my core value collectivism.

Collectivism holds that the group---the nation, the community, the proletariat, the race, etc. --- is the primary unit of reality and the ultimate standard of value. But ultimately, collectivism holds that one’s identity is constituted essentially of relationships with others.

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The value criterion through which the round shall be weighed is cost benefit analysis. This is essentially weighing the worth of some action through the advantage and disadvantages it occurs.

My first contention is that valuing the collective good is most democratic.

  1. A collective good is anything which requires some form of cooperative action to produce. There are a considerable amount of goods in our society which can only be produced collectively, that is, by the combined actions of numerous individuals, institutions, and agencies. The goods of national security, the protection of the environment, democratic decision ...

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